Find Your Own Treasure in PIRATA

Perched on the 29^th floor with superb views that offer a different look at Hong Kong, Pirata is the latest addition to Hong Kong’s vibrant dining scene. Located in Hennessy Road in the heart of the bustling Wan Chai district, mylifestylenews discover this new hidden gems offering authentic Italian cuisine over their weekend brunch……

In actual fact this restaurant is set over the top two floors with an internal staircase (and lifts as well). Pirata means pirate in Italian and the interior is a treasure trove of hand-picked design elements including vintage chandeliers and industrial metalwork and it clear from that you see and what you use on the table, that they are eschewing the usual choices to provide a more individual and vibrant, yet intimate atmosphere.

Each floor is not too big and pretty much everyone gets a view, plus a very light and airy feel to the space. The staff were very warm and friendly and were making sure that our requests and needs were being looked after in a quiet, but efficient way.

The brunch is a semi-buffet, followed by a trio of starters and a choice of main. The semi-buffet has all your favourite cured meats, a small selection of cheeses, plus a tuna salad, prawn salad and a selection of vegetables for you to make your own salad, so there is ample to keep your initial appetite pangs at bay!

Not to mention that the freshly baked bread are so good, plus the olive oil and balsamic they pour at the table is so “more-ish” until we had to stop ourselves from eating too much bread. The semi-buffet set-up is on each floor, so no thoughts of trudging up and down stairs, as each floor is very well catered for.

When comes to semi-buffet, that means you can keep going back time after time, but we caution you to check your servings, as the next trio of starters needs to be savoured and it is brought to your table. Pirata is a delightful foodie destination. They cook good, honest Italian food that won’t fails to please and the atmosphere is delightful. When we say there is not a dish you shouldn’t share, as you would leave with a heavy heart had you missed out on what your other diner’s are eating, plus they present each dish at the table in kitchen ware, so it encourages you to share.

What catches the attention is the <M.M.M. - “My Mama’s Meatballs”>. The meatball is a combination of pork, beef, Italian egg, tomato sauce, basil and extra virgin olive oil and they are simply scrumptious. We also liked that they freshly grate parmesan cheese at our table. Unfortunately there is only one each, so enjoy them while they last, if you are lucky, you may ask for another serving, be nice to the serve staff.

The next starter was another temptation too hard to resist, a <Asparagus Flan> that was so light and fluffy, it could almost be a dessert. The combination of asparagus, eggs and cream sitting on a parmesan cheese fondue was a perfect combination of flavours that lingered and the parmesan crisp on the side is a perfect touch.

The last starter before the main course served was the <Fried Mozzarella Sandwich>. It was not as strong in flavor as expected, but less is more, combining fresh mozzarella, milk, butter and tomato sauce and very much a comfort food item that is pleasing to have for a brunch. This is more like a kidult’s favorite kind of dish.

While we were still mulling over some salad from the semi-buffet to cleanse the palate and our mains arrived. As always, we felt that we needed to try more than one dish each to get a sense of the chef’s skills and we got a ‘slam-dunk’ from the chef. We sampled a <Papardelle with Duck Ragu>, a <Spring Chicken>, an <Eggplant Parmigiana>.

It was difficult to know where to start as each dish looked just as tempting as the next but the  <Papardelle with Duck Ragu> was out first taste and the big wide ribbons of pasta were perfectly al dente, with the duck meat the standout that was punctuated with some Marsala wine, such a good rich flavor that was utterly delicious.

The <Eggplant Parmigiana> looked like a dish that had just come out of Mama’s kitchen.The eggplant is deep fried and then layered in the dish with tomatoes, D.O.P. Buffallo Mozzarella, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, creating a stunning dish with a nice gooey texture that is so rich in flavor. This is also a perfect accompaniment for all our other dishes, we kept adding a spoonful of this to enjoy with the other meats.

The <Spring Chicken> was rich in taste, juicy and tender and a beautiful dish with the vegetables cooked very simply. Once again that home-cooked look and taste to it that leaves you the impression that a multi-talented Italian Mama is at work in the kitchen and “she” is simply the world’s best chef.

Our appetites were gradually diminishing, but the <The Butcher’s Cut> flank steak was too appealing to miss. Not guilty, the Butcher’s Cut was the manager’s idea and he insisted us to try and he was darn right, it is one of the must try dishes in Pirata. With a topping of rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes and as expected, they had perfectly cooked the meat and it was to be savoured. With a great depth a flavor and the knife cutting through so easily, right away you knew this was a high quality cut of meat cooked with love and attention that you would be hard pressed to beat in any other restaurant.

Simplicity was maintained for desserts, with a great <Pistachio Ice-cream> topped with chocolate sauce and a <Raspberry Panna Cotta>. The ice-cream was quite dense in texture with a chew-ness because of the nuts and it just has to be shared. The lightness of the panna cotta was delicious and a great contrast on the palate.

Even having passed the limit of what we could normally consume, we did not want to leave even a teaspoonful behind, each was gleefully finished and left us more than satisfied.

Given the plethora of Italian eateries in Hong Kong, Pirata is more than a Trattoria for no fuss no muss home come Italian flavor. As we left with an uplifted feeling for having eaten such delicious food from ‘Mama’s’ kitchen and enjoyed the time we spent at Pirata. The treasures are found.

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4/5

Design & Decor: 4/5

Food & Beverage: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Value For Money: 4.5/5

Highlights :

Papardelle with Duck Ragu
Steaks
Spring Chicken

PIRATA

 29/30F, 
239, Hennessy Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2887 0270